The Book of Lul'een
by Caerl
Summary: NWN2 OC. Post Arvahn.Updated. Dreams of a lost love and evil machinations have haunted Tie Lunedoptera since childhood. So far, her answers have only led to more questions. Complete. R&Rs Always appreciated.
1. Prologue

Although Selune fled the night sky, her children were still here with us. I could hear their lonely howls floating over the ruins below our camp.

I awakened from a broken reverie without the usual lift to my spirits. Traveling to Arvahn was like a homecoming to this lost soul of Illefarn. Where was that feeling of comfort, of belonging? That sense of unity just wasn't here for me.

My last thought before waking was linked to one word; Riverguard.

"We've got to go back", I said to no one in particular, "the answer is somewhere in Riverguard Keep. It has to be."

Having the sharpest ears in the group, Neeshka sat up and eyed me balefully. "Is this another elven thing? Stay up all night and howl at the moon?"

"All my dreams point to that fortress." I added, "they disturb my sleep."

"It's just vapors, nightmares and foolishness," the rogue continued, "you take that nonsense seriously?"

"Yes, I do," I said, "dreams to us moon elves are important. That's how _Sehanine_ speaks to us. We are especially attuned to the ethereal world. After seeing what I saw today, everything makes better sense."

The tiefling snorted, "it's just a coincidence. All you moonies look alike anyway." She wrinkled her nose, "besides that place has a nasty aura. I'm not going back there."

I persisted, "then why do I have the same dream over and over? Someone who looks like me, is sneaking into a musty tomb to hide a wooden box that is more valuable than life itself. There have been other dreams, many others."

"It's exhaustion, fairy dust, just hallucinations," Neeshka said. She always had an answer.

* * *

Imagine my surprise, when the last zombie fell and the baelnorn transformed into a shade that looked alarmingly like me! Despite the echoing of the voice, the pain, the anguish still came through. That wasn't... isn't me! The shade spoke of the agony that her love endured, the pain the _becoming_ caused. Annaeus and his band of wizards spoke of the nobility of his sacrifice. They didn't mention the torture for 100 days as the weave stripped him of his _self_. The spirit harbored a bitter resentment toward Annaeus for luring her love from her--It just wasn't fair.

The stage for this drama was set in the gem mines of Arvahn. Six lost spirits, three elves and three dwarves, were imprisoned there after death by the King of Shadows. Upon entering, our group encountered an elven spirit named Balaur, the lorekeeper of ancient Illefarn. In order to find the Purification Statue of Angharradh, we were tasked to free these spirits of the foul undead created by their pain and suffering. We learned from Balaur that the Guardian turned to the Weave's dark twin, the Shadow Weave when it failed. The Weave returned, but by then the Guardian had been corrupted into the King of Shadows. His evil bound the spirits to the heart of Illefarn. The identities of the man who became the Guardian and his lady love were erased from this physical world.

Balaur thanked us for ridding the mines of the evil, and restoring a measure of peace to the restless spirits. He gave us three books, one of them was about the Guardian and his creation. The ritual of transformation was performed at Riverguard Keep, just a stone's throw from the Gem Mines. His lady love stayed with him throughout the 100 days. The book assumes she died at the keep; It stated that the Guardian emerged alone after his _conversion_.

After reading that book, everything clicked into place. My dreams, a long line of unconnected mysteries, were now a reality.

In one of my most vivid dreams, I gave a beautiful greatsword with a gemstone blade to a man of great regard to me. In this dream he had no face. The dream turned dark and a twisted, angry dwarven countenance berated me for meddling with something I knew next to nothing about. The dwarf walked away from me, carrying my gift. Was this Riverguard? I didn't know before coming to Arvahn. My dreams have removed any doubt.

About a week ago, we liberated Riverguard from an ogre-mage named Ghellu. Shandra Jerro, our farm-girl turned fighter found a crystal bladed greatsword near his body. Was this the Guardians blade? Shandra thinks so. She has used it since to battle the undead in the Gem Mines and will not part with it.

* * *

We were greeted the next morning with an atonal rendition of _Oh What a_ _Beautiful Morning_, that favorite of dwarves everywhere, sung by our own baritone, Khelgar Ironfist. Thankfully, a rain of muddy adventurer's footwear put an end to it. "You wenches have no soul," groused the battered shield dwarf, pulling on his own boots.

"So, princess, any more erotic dreams?" teased Neeshka, our tiefling trap-springer. "we're not going back into that snake pit are we?" Her eyes narrowed at the thought of returning to Riverguard.

"Yes we are, but first, lets tie up some loose ends," I said, returning the rogue's glare.

"Somebody wake up Shandra," I said, shifting my gaze, "that sword of hers may be a key to understanding the Guardian."

Our Githzerai cleric, Zhjaeve paused her stirring of the cook-pot to ask, "will the knowing of this other sword help us in our endeavor? I thought the _Sword of Gith_ was our focus."

To that, I said, "I had a dream that involved giving a beautiful greatsword to someone I cared deeply about. That sword may be the one we took from Ghellu. In another dream, an artifact hidden somewhere near a grave was a revelation..." I shook my head at the obscure memory. "They may be connected." After some thought, I concluded, "That moon elf spirit in the Gem Mines looked disturbingly familiar. What happened to her?"

"Huh, familiar?" Neeshka had returned from waking Shandra. "Glanced in a mirror lately?" After looking back and forth at Zhjaeve and me, she finished, "They killed her. Look, the lorekeeper told us the girl and the Guardian's identities were erased..."

"That left Annaeus and his wizards, not to mention the lorekeeper, Balaur; they knew both of them," I interrupted her speculation. "As far as I know, nobody was killed," I said in dismissal-- Neeshka was always seeing shadows in every corner.

"It's just a thought—From where I'm standing, that's what it looks like," the rogue said, with a shrug.

" So you believe you embody this elf-girl spirit?" Zhjaeve asked with raised eyebrow.

"Yes I do," I said, uncrossing my arms and turning to face her. "We look too much alike to be a coincidence."

"I have suspected it since seeing her yesterday, but I wanted you to give it voice," the Gith said solemnly, "you must come to understand your dreams. Riverguard is his birthplace and it possesses great power. He has twisted this young woman's love, carved it with shadow. Releasing the shades as we did will not endear us to him."

"So where do I fit in?" I asked her.

" First, tell me how you feel about this Guardian, not the King of Shadows," she intoned. Her eyes held mine.

"Well, despite all his noble intentions, I think he was maneuvered into it by the wizards and Annaeus. He ignored this elf-girl and her feelings were hurt," I said with emotion, "he was a fool."

To that she said, "such emotion can be dangerous. Is it you or the spirit speaking?"

"It's me," I said, after a moment of hesitation, "I know how the King of Shadows could use this emotion against her. She loved the man, not the Guardian, and certainly not the King of Shadows. Does that disqualify me?"

"No it certainly does not," she said, "such passion guided by a strong will is a very sharp edge, but it must remain clean, untainted by his evil. Can you keep it so?"

"Yes I can," I said with a steady gaze. I still believe that love is ageless.

"A way to anchor your thoughts when you battle him is to remember you will be releasing him from an infernal bondage, not of his choosing; An act of love," she said with conviction, "forget the pain and loss, they dull the will."

"Thank you, Lady Zerth," I said solemnly. "I understand; Focus my will,"

"You are welcome, my dear," she returned. In all the time I knew her, that was the only affection Zhjaeve ever showed.

"What's all this about my sword? Neeshka's been babbling about returning to that pile of rocks at Riverguard with it," enter Shandra _Blood of_ Jerro.

"I wasn't babbling Shandra, you just weren't awake yet," snapped the rogue. "Does anyone really listen to me?" she asked the sky.

"The mighty warrior queen approaches," I deadpanned to Shandra's blank stare, "how was your slumber?"

"T'would be better if you didn't send horned devils to kick me awake," she said, beginning to laugh.

Neeshka stuck out her tongue.

"We think there may be a connection between your sword, the Guardian, and Riverguard Keep," I told her.

"You're not going to take it back, are you?" she asked with a skeptical look on her face. "I risked my life for that blade."

" No," I replied, "it's yours. Keep it."

"Good," she said, "I wouldn't want to fight you for it."

"I do have some questions about it, though," I said, looking around to see where Neeshka was standing.

"Go ahead, I'm all horns," said Shandra, glaring at Neeshka, who just shrugged.

"Did you see anything else on Ghellu's body, maybe an amulet or a necklace?" I asked.

"Nooo... aside from the horrible smell of unwashed ogre, nothing else," Shandra wrinkled her nose, "oh, it kinda shocked me when I first picked it up, though, I thought maybe it was static, you know, like when you walk across a rug with armor on. I need to get Khelgar to make a new scabbard for it, though. That blue glow from the crystal affects my night vision."

"Blue glow?" I asked, glancing at the rogue.

"Yeah, a really irritating shade of blue. I thought it was maybe an illumination enchantment, but it went out when we left the keep."

This time I stared hard at Neeshka.

"WHAT." she cried,"I didn't do anything."

" It's just a coincidence," I mimicked, "hallucinations, my EARS."

She looked at me, her tail tracing lazy arcs.

"It's an elven insult," I said, "you wouldn't understand."

"Try me," she replied, heating up, "I'm not that stupid."

"Hey, take it easy," I tried to soothe her, "I was just kidding."

She turned her back on me, saying nothing.

"Everybody listen." I called out, "anyone not going to Riverguard Keep can stay here in camp. The rest, pack up, we're leaving in a hour."

I looked directly at Neeshka,and asked, "well, are you in?"

"Alright... ALRIGHT. I'm going." she said, turning around. She didn't look happy at all. "Khelgar isn't getting all the glory," she grumped.

"Or the loot," I added. That got her to smile.


	2. Return to Riverguard

It took us an hour to get to the keep courtyard. The narrow path was overgrown with brambles, the cobblestones uneven, heaved up by ages of frost. When we were all gathered in the entryway, I took stock; Neeshka, up front. Khelgar was next, with Shandra beside him.

"Shandra," I said, "let's take a look at that sword."

She drew the crystal blade and presented it very smartly. She had been well trained. "It doesn't seem to be enchanted now," she said showing a perplexed expression," maybe it only glows at night."

Zhjaeve and I, using spells and ranged weapons would bring up the rear. "We're looking for any signs of spirits or arcane tracery," I said with solemnity, "look carefully at every book and scroll. Neeshka... traps and secret passages... please?"

She rolled her eyes; "anything else?"

"No, that's all. Let's go," I said.

* * *

In the entrance hall, a marble sarcophagus with the remains of Master Jemelle awaited us. At its head was a book on a lectern of carved duskwood.

" A book of prayers," said Neeshka," I don't recognize the script. It could be Druidic... hey, what do we have here?" she bent down at the head of the vault. "Everybody... stay where you are," she commanded.

Our training took over; we froze. Khelgar took a quick look around, not wanting any surprises.

Long minutes passed. Finally, she straightened up and said, "this vault is on a very old mechanism. It hasn't been moved in a very, very long time. The latch won't budge. This whole vault slides over to our left. See the marks on the floor?" She proceeded to sweep the dust and debris away from the left side of the huge stone box. "Now, Khelgar, Shandra, I need you to push on the left side, here, maybe that will release the pressure on the latch," she supposed.

"What about traps, did you check for traps?" Shandra asked nervously, looking at us.

"I don't see anything mechanical," the rogue replied, "there may be something magical, but … I don't see any triggers. Let's give it a try."

With Khelgar at the head of the sarcophagus and Shandra at the foot, Neeshka counted to three and they both strained. The box moved a tiny bit and we were rewarded with a solid thump from under the floor.

"Got it." the rogue cried out, "okay, pull back on it, see if it will roll on its own." The vault slid about a foot to the left and stopped with a screech.

We were disappointed to see a shallow box-like depression about three hands wide, and nine hands in length. It appeared to be about a hand's length in depth, and empty, a layer of thick dust coated the bottom.

" Well that was a bust," mourned the tiefling, "all that work and no reward. Humpf."

Shandra's head rose above the coffin top. "There is an impression in the dust at the bottom," she said drawing her Gemsword and carefully setting it down in the shallow depression. It matched perfectly.

"Well, now we know where the ogre-mage found it." Neeshka said bending over to retrieve the blade.

"What's that underneath the sword?" I asked, leaning over to get a better look.

We failed to see a small container on the floor of the depression. "That's paraffin on there, it's a preservative. Let's open it," said Neeshka, picking it up and taking out her favorite dagger.

"Wait... use caution... the package is warded," this was from Zhjaeve.

"It's not big enough, how could you know that?" an exasperated Neeshka said.

" I just know," said the Gith, "a blue aura surrounds it--Death is very near."

I hefted the small package, it was much heavier than it looked.

Zhjaeve took a step forward. "Tiernah Lunedoptera, you must open this parcel. It knows you." she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked looking around the group.

"Where the devil's hands touched it, the glow was distorted, like it resented her touch. When you took it from her, the glow swelled and flowed around you," she said in a subdued voice, "it is intended that you open it."

"Alright," I said, examining it more closely. It appeared to be in two half sections with a leather strap tied around its center.

"Isn't she taking a serious risk?" asked Shandra, looking over the rogue's shoulder.

"I sense no evil emanating from it, only a feeling of expectation, fulfillment. That is all," said Zhjaeve, "it wants to be opened."

"Well, here goes nothing," I said, taking a tiny dagger from my belt. After carefully following the seam around the middle to loosen the wax, I cut the leather along the seam at both sides.

The top came off easily then, revealing a leather tome that fit the box perfectly. A small, faceted blue crystal was set in the center of the book's cover. The title; _The Book of Lul'een_ was printed at the top of the cover in Old Elvish script, called _espruar._

Before I could open the book, Zhjaeve spoke up,"the aura is gone. The ward has done its job. It disappeared when the seal was cut."

"Funny, I didn't feel anything," I said, opening the tome and translating the introduction aloud;

_I am called Balaur. I have been the chief lorekeeper in Arvahn for many years. This script would be considered contraband, for it speaks of a great evil. Many of the "empowered" here would have me put to death for the telling of this story. To whit; Annaeus and his wizard henchmen have committed a most foul murder! It may have cursed our endeavor to failure! _

Neeshka piped up, "Remember, when we asked the lorekeeper why they failed to defeat the King of Shadows? He said; 'perhaps we were not united in purpose.' I was sure he knew more than he let on. I love a good mystery."

"So, what do we do now?" this from Khelgar.

"I'll need to study this book," I said, "let's return to camp and come back tomorrow."

* * *

That evening, after everyone was fed and we cleaned up, I took out _The Book of Lul'een._ There was more than two hours of light left, so I began to read;

_It all started with a tiny elven waif found hiding on the stream bank at Riverguard Keep. How she got there, we never found out. Elf children are never abandoned, so she must have been an orphan._

_Neinah, my half-elf assistant, summoned me to the entrance hall of the Riverguard Archives with some urgency in her voice. "Master Balaur, come quickly... see here." Imagine my surprise when I came through the door to see her leading a small child by the hand._

_She was of no more than fifteen summers, but I could still see her moon elf heritage. Under all the dirt and filthy matted hair glared the most beautiful elven blue eyes I had ever seen. Although she was badly frightened, her reserve never broke, never wavered._

_"She is calmer now," whispered Neinah, "she is very resistant to arcanery. It took a higher level spell to hold and sedate her." "Well, let us get her cleaned up and see what we have," I exclaimed cheerily._

_That was the first time I met the child who came to be known as Lul'een._

Neeshka walked over and sat down beside me. "Must be good reading. You've been at it for a while," she said, looking at the open page, "that's old Elvish. Do you read it directly or do you have to translate it?"

"Directly," I said, surprised the rogue took an interest. " my master at the monastery was an old line monk. He demanded that all acolytes learn it."

Neeshka laughed, "I would have been a monk, if rogue hadn't chosen me first."

I was skeptical, "you know monks are required to be lawful don't you?" I asked her.

She avoided my eyes then. "I even learned old elvish, thinking maybe there's an elf in the family somewhere," she said shyly, changing the subject.

"Yeah," I said, pointing at the side of her head, "just look at those ears, they aren't orcish."

"You don't mind if I read some, maybe help with the translation?" Neeshka asked.

"No, help yourself," I said, "I'll make some tea."

_Time marched on. The years passed as they always do. Our Little One managed to capture the attention of Isym, the Master of Arcane Arts at Riverguard. She was moved from her room at the Archives kitchen to the Academy of Arcane Arts. _

_All that follows is anecdotal. We saw very little of her from that point on._

_This happened just before she moved on;_

_Lul'een's talent with beasts was phenomenal. It was as if she could speak their language. On the road one day, she and her matron approached a farmer who was beating his ox. The animal stubbornly refused to pull its wagon. To the farmer's astonishment, she reached up to its halter lead and the huge beast began to move. Upon reaching a wide place beside the road, she released the lead and the animal stopped._

_Pointing to the ox's left shoulder, she said, "it hurts him right here." When examining the shoulder, the farmer found a harness chafe that needed padding. He looked up to thank the tiny elf girl, who looked back over her shoulder and said, "you don't have to hit him so hard, he likes to work." She left him shaking his head in wonder._

I returned with two cups. Neeshka thanked me, and pointed to the book.

I read it and a tear ran down my cheek. "I dreamed it," I whispered, "long ago, when I was a child in West Harbor."

"This spirit is becoming more of a person to us," said the rogue thoughtfully.

I read on;

_All things end, and so must childhood for our Little Brave One. About a tenday before her majority, Lul'een was involved in a life changing event;_

_A promising human wizard named Laura had been missing for some days. Our girl, when consulted, knew where this wizard was. When pressed for more information, all she would say was her "friends" knew. They had seen her carried away by humans in blue cloaks to a nearby cave. Before the Academy Clerics could reach the cave, they were ambushed by a Netherese patrol._

_All the clerics were put to the sword at once. Lul'een was taken to their capitol city and tried as a witch. Gods know what torment she endured. Before sentence could be carried out, she escaped._

_Three days later, she appeared at Riverguard Keep. She denounced two Riverguard cadets as kidnappers and murderers of the young wizard. Her evidence: Two wolves that had seen the act. They entered the courtroom and on command sat at the feet of the perpetrators. The cadets' appeal questioned a verdict based on "bestial" evidence. Their appeal was denied without comment. Their sentence was executed the next day._

_At her majority, Our Girl Lul'een was granted the adult name of Laleen. She was honored for her work in the General Court and on behalf of the local farmers in animal husbandry. Her power of healing was legendary. She advanced the study of Applied Clerical Regeneration to both animals and mankind. Our investment in this kind, good soul was repaid many times over._

I closed the book and stowed it in my pack. " She was quite an accomplished healer," I said to Neeshka.

"So what happened to you?" asked the rogue, with a smirk. "you would choke on a healing potion."

Ignoring her jibe, I mused, "I'm not a blood relative. What is the connection?"

"Well, for one thing, you were there in West Harbor when they fought the King of Shadows. Duncan said he killed your mother and almost got you. I'll bet that's when the spirit possessed you," Neeshka said, "maybe the Gith understands the connection. She's into all that spiritual stuff."

"She's meditating now, so I'll probably ask her tomorrow," I concluded.

That night I slept soundly, without dreams.

* * *

I awoke the next morning alone. Alarmed, I sat up and looked around. Zhjaeve and Shandra were a short distance to the south. They surrounded a kneeling Neeshka, who was pointing at something on the ground.

Khelgar was about half way, returning to camp with a scowl on his face. " Almost as bad as that damned tree worshiping slip of an elf druid," he snapped at me in passing.

"Well, good morning to you too sunshine," I chirped.

I got up, folded my bedding and ran over to see what the excitement was about.

"My guess, about five or six in each group," said Neeshka, "about the same for the other three spots." She stood and looked carefully around. "One standing, while the rest were lying down. Good morning, Tie," she greeted me, "any dreams we need to know about?"

"No," I replied, "quiet night. What's going on?"

"We had company last night," she answered, "looks like wolves, about twenty or so, in four groups."

"I bet they were keeping watch," observed Shandra, "they were spaced evenly around our camp in groups of five or six."

"Anyone hear anything?" I asked, a wolf or two here was rare. Twenty or more was a cause for concern.

"Khelgar went out and came back at about moonrise, but didn't see anything," said Neeshka, "he said we were overreacting."

"Just like he said I overreacted about that reaver in West Harbor," said Jerro with a shudder.

"Well I'm starving, let's find something to eat," I said, thinking maybe we'd need to set up a watch at night.

After breakfast Shandra and Neeshka approached me as I was washing in the stream.

"We want to find out where those wolves went," Shandra opened, "we may find out why they're here."

"Do you need anyone else to go with you?" I asked.

"No, berserker Jerro and I should be able to handle it," said the tiefling, poking Shandra in the ribs.

" Alright, if you're not back by highsun, we'll come looking for you," I reassured her.

"They went across the ford just west of the keep," said Shandra, "we could sure use Elanee right now." They crossed the stream and disappeared around the hill.

* * *

After returning to camp, I packed up my gear and hung up my clothes to dry. Taking the _Book of Lul'een_ from my pack, I opened it and began to read;

_Arvahn is in celebration. The Netherese threat has been countered. The Council of Illefarn, led by Annaeus has developed a ritual that will tap into the very Weave to create a Guardian, an invincible warrior to defend our borders. That is the news being spread throughout the land. If only our citizens knew the whole story._

_My faithful assistant was cleaning up after a council meeting when she found this communique;_

_Isym,_

_Things are moving swiftly now. The ritual is working better than expected. The warding removes all traces of the subject's "humanity". Nothing can stop him. Nothing can stop us. It will take two more tendays to complete the process._

_There is a problem, though. Your unique talents and a little guile are needed. That foolish, pining elf girl is a loose end. She wants us to stop the "agony" and "torture" we are inflicting upon that "noble, brave man". Why don't we send her a note from him stating that he is released from his "bondage" and is recovering in the Hall of Wells? Set an arcane trap there. Ward it carefully, remember that she is very powerful, and must be incapacitated. She must not escape, Isym, on your life._

_Annaeus _

That arrogant dwarf. I now see why Isym was so angry. He was used to further Annaeus' sick plot. It would have all been forgotten if not for Balaur. Was there no way for the lorekeeper to stop the _becoming_? Evidently not. Even though he was a minor official, he probably had no real power.

There was one more page;

_Postscript; I must hurry, Arvahn is in uproar. The impossible has happened. The Weave has failed. The questions on everyone's minds and lips; What of the Guardian? What of Netheril? My question; Has our evil caught up with us? I certainly hope not._

_One final ray of light; When searching for a reference a few days ago, I came upon a tattered remnant of parchment. The name Laleen caught my attention;_

_My Dearest Lal,_

_Please do not be angry with me. This is the most difficult decision I have ever made. You told me to use my heart, not my head. How do I do that? Do I need to be elven to understand?_

_Your blessing will bind my soul to you. I need that. We will be together, someday. I believe that. You must also believe._

_I pledge my life and my service to you and to Illefarn... _

_The parchment was torn off and the rest was lost._

_My most fervent hope is that in the everafter, their love awaits them._

_To Eternity,_

_Balaur._

I closed _The Book of Lul'een_ slowly,reverently. Looking up, I encountered the steady gaze of our Githzerai guide. "They murdered her," I said through clenched teeth. "just because she was in the way."

"This complicates matters greatly," the Gith said, "I fear for us all. This gives the King of Shadows an edge over us. Unless Laleen's spirit is laid to rest, we are doomed to fail."

"What must we do?" I asked, at a loss for words.

"If you are the true embodiment of the elf-girl, your spirits must be united as one," the Cleric pronounced, "the Hall of Wells where the trap was set is a good place to start searching."


	3. The Trap

"It's your turn Khelgar," I said, turning to face him, my hands on my hips. "Nobody gets out of doing chores. I got the water for you this morning... you're cooking." His obstinacy irritated me to no end.

"Huh, woman's work. Why do I put up with this?" Khelgar's voice faded away as he walked to the stream to fill the cook-pot.

"Well then, You're just lucky we shot some game for ol' grumpy to learn how to cook with." said our favorite rogue with Shandra in tow. They walked into camp and sat down to rest.

" You won't believe what we found out." they both said together, looking at one another and smiling.

"We followed the trail of the wolves for a couple of miles," Shandra said, "and then the tracks vanished."

Neeshka picked up the narrative, "we turned around and there was a pack of wolves. They had us surrounded."

"You fell for that old trap?" I asked, shaking my head, "They backtracked on you and set up an ambush. I thought you two were trackers."

" Here's the weird part," Neeshka continued, "something just prodded me to say; 'Elanee, is that you?'"

Shandra said, "then a beautiful silver she-wolf stepped up and sat in front of us. She snarled and barked like she was scolding us; then they all just melted away, like they were never there."

"It's good to see the druids are watching over us." said the Gith, sitting by the fire, "any allies are welcome."

* * *

" Aside from that book, we've drawn one huge blank... nothing." groused Khelgar," I signed on to crack skulls, not chase spirits... or demons." He glared at Neeshka, who ignored him.

"We're lucky--Without a preservative that book would have been unreadable," I mused, trying to deflect the dwarf's frustration. "The trap is here somewhere, where is it?"

" Trap? What trap?" Neeshka's eyes lit up at the prospect of a challenge.

"Oh, You didn't read that far," I said, " Annaeus wrote a note to Isym telling him to set a trap for Laleen in the Hall of Wells."

"Let's go." Neeshka said with enthusiasm, "I never met a trap I didn't like."

"This one may have powerful wards, think you can handle it?" I asked her, already knowing the answer.

She looked up at the sky, then back at me. Pulling her tail through her free hand in a gesture I recognized as disdain, she asked, "got any healing potions?"

The rogue spun on her heel and ran up the path to the keep. She didn't even look back to see if we were following.

* * *

We were back inside Riverguard Keep, in the ante-room connected to the Statue of Purification. Zhjaeve was staring fixedly at the closed chamber door.

I stood beside her for a few moments before she spoke, "there is a silence here amidst the noise."

"What noise is that?" I whispered, "I don't hear anything."

"Like the wind through dead trees, a dry, restless sound," she intoned, opening the door and stepping inside.

The Gith stood at the base of the Statue of Purification, one of three in this Hall of Wells, listening intently. "Its power is spent, but the quiet is centered here," she said.

"Neeshka," I asked, turning my head to locate her. "any ideas?"

The rogue stepped up beside me, scuffing her feet and looking down. "Just a second," she said, circling the room, bending over once in awhile to pick up something from the floor.

She came back with a handful of small stones. "Watch this," she said, rolling the stones across the floor toward the base of the statue.

Instead of rebounding from the stone set into the well casing, they disappeared.

"Don't anybody move," Neeshka said, as she took out a small dagger and tapped around the stonework. "It's solid," she exclaimed, looking up at us.

"Not for long." Khelgar, swinging his _Lightning Hammer_ at the base of the statue, had finally given in to his frustration. He advanced on us, intent on rendering the very stone with the savagery of his attack.

Shock spread across the rogue's face as both Khelgar and hammer went through the statue. Her quick reflexes saved his life.

She was holding one wildly kicking leg and calling, "some help heeere. For the Gods' sake, grab him."

Shandra managed to capture the other foot, and together, they pulled Khelgar back into this world.

He seemed to be all right, save for a few scrapes and bruises. After tending to him, Neeshka let him have it; "What in the nine hells were you trying to do? Dimwit. Idiot. You want to get us all killed?" She even raised a booted foot, like he deserved a swift kick for good measure.

The dwarf just sat and stared at the water dripping from his armor to the floor.

"Leave off Neeshka," I said quietly, "he's in shock."

"I felt a power flare up when he went through," said the Gith, "it was the power of Illefarn; A shaping of the weave. I think this is the trap we are looking for."

"It's the ages," the dwarf said in a distant voice, "all darkness, shadow, and spirits."

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Khelgar?...are you all right?"

" Aye... lass," he said with some hesitation.

"You sprung the trap," I said, "what did you see?"

"It was underwater, clear water, I 'cud see." he exclaimed, warming to his tale of heroism, "then my head broke surface into this pale blue lighted shaft. But it wuz all wrong. You see... when you stand in a stream, it tries to pull you back into the water. This was trying to pull me OUT of the water. It wuz back'ards."

"But what did you see? gold?" this, from an impatient Neeshka.

"I'll get to it. Let me tell it--fiend." said the battered dwarf, "where wuz I? Oh Yeah. Well, then I looked up... Uhh down..."

Neeshka rolled her eyes and threw up her hands.

"Neeshka, please..." Shandra entreated, "let him talk."

"I looked, down, and spotted a pile of bones on the floor...a skeleton." Khelgar finished.

"I want to see it. The water can't be too deep. Khelgar's feet didn't even go under," said the rogue, not willing to be denied, "can you lower me down? It wouldn't be robbing a grave, would it Tie?"

"I think we should take a look, but remember, it is a trap. Any ideas?" I asked, hesitating to press anyone to volunteer.

" Maybe we could prop it open, while someone..." Shandra said, looking hard at the tiefling, "enters the trap."

Neeshka walked over to the statue, putting her hand on it. "If magic triggers it, someone..." she stared back at Shandra, "should be able to prop it open by touching it with an enchanted weapon."

Shandra drew the Gemsword from its scabbard and touched it to the side of the statue. "It's not solid," she said, "I have to hold it up or it will fall right through... It's... like nothing is there."

The sword flared a blue flash and began to glow with a ghostly light. The stone figure began to shimmer, almost disappearing.

Neeshka drew her dagger. "This one is not enchanted," she said solemnly. She probed the base of the statue. The blade disappeared into the stone to its hilt. "Now, pull the sword out," she said to Jerro.

The glow winked out, and the statue was solid again.

The dagger was held fast. "That's some trap," the rogue enthused after Shandra triggered the release of her blade. "Thanks for finding it, Stumpy. We almost lost you," she said, with an expression that made us doubt her sincerity.

* * *

" I just need you to tie a rope around my waist," said Neeshka to Khelgar, hefting her enchanted short sword, "this should get me out if the trap closes."

"Any final thoughts?" I asked, looking around the group, "none?... good luck... Shandra... If you please."

Neeshka kneeled in front of the shimmering statue, feeling for the edge. She pushed her hands into the stonework. "Huh," she giggled, "it tingles. Hold that rope tight, so I can get a good look."

With that, she lay down flat and bent down at the waist. Her head and shoulders melted into the rock. Only her lower legs and feet still showed.

Seconds passed. Then minutes. Finally, she bent her knees, raising her feet from the floor, giving the signal for the dwarf to pull her back out.

She was wet from the waist up. Her red eyes glowed with enthusiasm. The rogue was center stage and she loved it. We had numerous questions; Was she all right? What was down there?

" Khelgar is right," she said, mopping water from her tunic. "It is a complete skeleton. I think she died down there. She was dressed in what looked like a casual robe. The shaft is about ten hands deep and four hands around."

" What about the bottom," I asked, "was it dry?"

"It was. Only the roof was made of... water, " she said with some hesitation; "I think it's what used to be called an arcane core..."

"You mean a wizard's well," interrupted Shandra, "they were once used to trap demons."

"Enough fairy tales," Neeshka continued, "I saved the best for last; That blue light is an amulet, with a large gem on a silver chain. It looks valuable."

"We found the trap, so what now?" asked Shandra.

"We need to search thoroughly. The spirit still eludes us," said the Gith, "she will not stray far from her remains until released. She still has a purpose in this life."

* * *

"Here I go," Neeshka said brightly, showing no fear. We had tied a rope around her as Shandra, once again, opened the trap. The rogue did a perfect forward roll over the edge, and disappeared in a blue flash. The rope ran smoothly between the dwarf's gloves, then stopped.

After a brief pause, Khelgar called out, "she's coming back up."

Neeshka came back up like she had wings."Close it. CLOSE it Shandra. CLOSE IT." she cried out in terror. She shoved past a surprised Khelgar, and ran from the Hall of Wells, the rope trailing behind her.

"Stay here," I called, panic was the last thing I was prepared to deal with. "I'll be right back."

Exiting the chamber, I heard a door clang shut at the end of the corridor. Rounding the corner, I noticed a closed door on my right. The rope lay on the floor leading up to it.

Edging up close to that door, I heard sobbing breaths coming from the other side, it was securely locked.

" Neeshka?" I said softly,"you in there? You all right?" No reply, if not for that line trailing her when she fled, I wouldn't know where to look.

Looking down, I saw the rope sliding under the door. When it got to a knot, the rope stopped.

Feeling short of time, I wedged a sword across the door and turned back toward our group in the Hall of Wells.

Half way down the passage, I ran into Zhjaeve and Khelgar, who were coming my way.

" Well, where is she?" demanded the dwarf, "running out on us was a cowardly thing for her to do."

"She locked herself in a room down the hall," I answered, "she's not herself."

"From here on out, she's not to be trusted, you ask me--dump her. Who needs her?" Khelgar began to rant.

"Khelgar, we don't know what happened down there. She's badly frightened and probably hurt. She needs our help." I countered, " she is a valued part of this team. You want to abandon her? She saved your life."

" A true warrior does not run away." he said stubbornly.

"She doesn't have the same idea of honor that you do. Try to understand from her point of view," I said, looking directly into his eyes, "she has no family, she needs us."

He looked down at his feet. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, she's just so damned irritating." he mumbled.

"That's her way of getting your attention," I pointed out, "if she ignores you, then watch out."

* * *

"The trap may have been warded to prevent escape," the Gith mused, "a high level dispel should remove it from the _fey-zu_." I'd never heard of Neeshka being referred to as an elf-baatezu crossbreed.

"Why would she lock herself in a closed room?" I asked, "that doesn't seem rational."

"She may have encountered a fear spell or an insanity ward," Zhjaeve answered, "I will need to see how the rogue behaves to be sure. I could disable her with a hold spell and then remove any ill effects with clerical magic."

"She won't be hard to find," said Khelgar, pointing to the rope on the floor. "Is that your sword blocking the door?"

"Yes, it is," I said, "that was the only way I could think of to keep her in there."

As we approached the door, I noticed it was pushed out against the sword. "She tried to open the door," I whispered.

Taking hold of the sword, I looked at Khelgar and the cleric. "Khelgar, remember... parry. We don't want to hurt her," I admonished.

He nodded reluctantly as Zhjaeve started her incantation.

I pulled out the sword and the door opened with a thin squeal. Neeshka was lying on her side... apparently asleep.

Zhjaeve's hold spell flowed through the door and surrounded the inert tiefling, who tensed visibly, fighting the enchantment.

Pointing down, I said, "everybody... stay where you are." A trip cord was strung across the door at ankle level.

A powerful BOOM echoed down the hallway and the walls began to shake. _Shandra_... I thought, as roof tiles and dust rained down on us.

Neeshka's trap came crashing down, sealing her in with a tumble of broken furniture.

"FOLLOW ME," I shouted over the din as I ran back to the Hall of Wells.

The door was sealed shut. No amount of force would open it.

The sound of steel on stone reached us out in the hall. Khelgar hammered on the door with no effect, cursing roundly at his ineffectiveness. Finally he gave up, looking at me sadly.

A quiet descended upon us... "Shandra?" I called out... Silence.


	4. Shadows

Inside the Hall of Wells, fighter Jerro had her hands full. She closed the trap when the rogue streaked from the room trailing her rope like a second tail.

When Shandra got half way across the room, the Gemsword flared a brilliant white. Looking to her left and right, she saw the two flanking statues wreathed in poisonous black shadow. Her growing dread turned to horror as the door slammed shut with a tremendous booming sound.

Darkness enveloped Shandra. She raised the Gemsword, sweeping it around in a circle. It stirred the shadows surrounding her. They seemed to fear its touch.

A face appeared before her. Tiernah? It was a moon elf, but not the shard-bearer. "The statues, warrior, the statues," a ghostly, echoing voice urged, "they are his power. Strike them down."

The disembodied face dissolved, as did her confusion. She advanced to the right. The crystal blade sheared the stone wherever it struck. When the right figure was a pile of rubble, Shandra moved left.

When that statue fell, darkness filled the room. In the glow of the sword, she saw a shadowy presence. It advanced across the room. Pain surged though her, though she saw no blood. "Strike, warrior, for your life," that same voice, so familiar, broke her paralysis.

Shandra Jerro lost all track of time. She advanced, She retreated. She parried, then advanced again. Pain was present, but somehow far away. The adversaries circled, advanced, feinted, then retreated. Neither seemed to gain an advantage.

Her exhausted mind searched for answers, solutions. Then... a thought; _The Trap._ _Would it work?_ _Would it just cause more problems?_ Her weariness decided the issue for her.

She retreated, luring the shadow toward the Statue of Purification. When it stood in front of the stone edifice, Shandra stroked the crystal blade across the body of the statue. The result was spectacular. The shadow was pulled down into the well, where it reacted with an opposing force trapped within. The shadow's essence was expelled from the open end of the well in a shower of sparks. All that remained was a thin, acrid smelling haze that burned her eyes.

The darkness, unwilling to admit defeat, slowly withdrew. The Gemsword's warm blue glow illuminated the room once more. She pulled the blade from the statue once again and the trap closed.

Bone weary, Shandra seated herself on a stone bench near the Statue of Purification. She looked up when she heard insistent hammering on the chamber door. Getting slowly to her feet, she sheathed the greatsword and began the long trip across the room to the door. The last thing she remembered was pulling the bolt back.

* * *

The quiet was almost unbearable." Shandra Jerro is in there," said Khelgar,"she hasn't even been fully trained. This canna' be good." With that, he approached the door and hammered on it. "Someone's coming across the room," he said shortly. The bolt was drawn, and the door opened a crack.

Khelgar raised his hammer and bent over to peer into the room. "She's on the floor, out cold," he said, his voice barely a whisper, "her sword is sheathed, and the room is a mess. No blood on her, No wounds."

The dwarf looked back at us, a question on his face.

"Khelgar, you go to the right, I'll go left. Zhjaeve, can you see to Shandra?" I asked. After she nodded assent, I slapped the dwarf on the back. "Let's go, stumpy," I said," clear the room."

He pulled the door open, and entered the room. Stepping carefully over the inert form of Shandra, he placed himself between her and his perceived opponent.

I moved to the left, scanning the space carefully. Shattered pieces of statuary littered the floor. There was nothing threatening here.

Looking back, I noticed the cleric bending over Shandra. She expertly examined the fallen fighter, then pronounced her whole, but unconscious.

We turned around and bent over her. Shandra was sitting up, her eyes were unfocused. She looked up at me, shook her head, and managed a weak smile.

It took her a few minutes to fill us in on what happened."The shadow did not appear until I tried to leave the room," Shandra recounted, "this sword had something to do with it."

"The answer to this riddle lies within the well," Zhjaeve said, "the sword and the trap are linked somehow. Maybe the _fey-zu_ can give us the missing clues."

"Neeshka," I said; I'd forgotten all about her. "she's long gone by now."

"The rogue will still be there," said the Gith, "on this plane my hold spells will not fade away. They must be dispelled. I do not know why, but this is true."

"Let's go see," I said, "Shandra, can you stay here and rest 'til we get Neeshka and come back?"

She nodded her acceptance. "Sure, I may even take a nap," she joked.

When we returned to the room where Neeshka set her trap, the rope was still on the floor.

After looking through the pile of broken furniture and rubble, Khelgar announced, "she's still here, alive and unharmed." He attacked the pile and soon had it cleared away. "Not much of a trap," he grumbled," she really wasn't herself."

" I can't believe it." I said with wonder, "a compliment from Khelgar."

"I won't make be makin' that a habit," the dwarf responded with a sour look on his face.

Zhjaeve knelt over the tiefling to examine her. "It is not insanity, I think she is just fearful," she said, starting an incantation. After a few minutes, Neeshka visibly relaxed. "I recommend that we restrain her," said the cleric, "she may be very angry. It is sometimes a side effect of a fear dispelling."

When binding her hands and feet, I found that she was not unhurt. On her right palm was a badly blistered burn. "What could have caused that?" I mused aloud, setting about treating her painful injury.

The Githzerai was right, Neeshka was not just angry, she was furious. When the hold spell was removed, she cursed in Common, Demonic, and even old Elvish. The ropes binding her hands and feet were creaking with the strain she placed on them.

"What in the nine Hells is going on in here?" Shandra said, standing in the doorway, " I can hear you all the way down the hall." She took one look at the bound-up banshee, and knelt down beside her. She whispered something into Neeshka's ear. The cursing stopped immediately. She stroked the rogue's back several times, then stood up.

"You can untie me now," Neeshka said quietly, "I'm alright... except for my hand, that is." After being released, she sat with her hand curled up in her lap. It was clearly hurting her.

"What happened down there?" I asked. "All the hells broke loose after you left."

She looked up at me and said,"I really don't know. The last thing I remember is picking up that amulet. I didn't feel any pain, then. The pain came later. I felt... It's coming, a huge... foreboding..." words failed her.

" It was that shadow warrior," Shandra finished for her, "it almost had me beaten, but I trapped it in the well."

"It's still in the well?" asked Khelgar, hefting his hammer.

"No... something in the well destroyed it," Jerro explained. "Something that wants out."

"Something that wants us to release the spirit from the trap," the Gith added. "An enemy of the King of Shadows."

" An old love. Someone who wants to free him." I said thoughtfully, "the most pure of motivations."

" I believe you are right," the Gith said, settling her gaze on my face. "then you know what you must do."

"First we need to free the moon elf spirit from the trap," I said, "Khelgar, do you still have that cloak I gave you in Neverwinter?"

"Pack-rat, that's me," he said ," it's right here." He pulled it from his pack with a flourish.


	5. Reunited

We were once again in the Hall of Wells. The Statue of Purification towered over us.

"Now, here's where I go into the well," I said, holding up a bundle of cloth before tucking it into my battle pack. "Tie the rope and lower me down. I'll bring up the remains in this cloak. It should protect her from the water. Shandra,here I go."

I then closed my eyes and descended into the trap. When I felt the floor under my feet, I opened my eyes.

The Amulet glowed a beautiful blue. When I touched it, such a strong sense of well being filled me, I couldn't help but cry out. Scene after scene whirled through my mind. Some were familiar to me, some were not. It was a whole lifetime of experiences. When they subsided, I carefully, reverently gathered up the remains, bound them up in the nymph cloak, and pulled on the rope.

* * *

We exited the keep into the morning sunshine. Neeshka and Shandra headed for the stream to clean up, while Khelgar set up the fire for cooking.

Zhjaeve caught me looking up at the sky. "Your spirits are one now," she said, drawing me carefully from my reverie, "they rejoined when you were in the well."

"The King of Shadows cannot be too happy about that," I said, "his shadow warrior failed to keep us from freeing Laleen."

"Shandra of Jerro is a very special soul," the Gith pronounced, "we owe her a great debt."

* * *

Khelgar threw his toothpick into the fire and asked, "now that we have her bones, where do we bury them?"

I had been thinking about it, and had a few ideas.

"Anywhere outside is better than where she was," Neeshka said, "even I could feel the evil in there."

"Where else but with her love?" asked Shandra thoughtfully, "the King of Shadows is a spirit,right? His mortal remains have to be here somewhere."

"Now, finding them is the real problem," broke in the rogue.

"Is it wise?" this was the dwarf speaking, "do we bury the good with the evil?"

"Remains aren't good or evil, they are just the soul's container. The flesh will rot away, but the spirit will not, " said Shandra with emphasis, "What endures is their love. The true evil here is that they were separated. They should be together."

They all looked expectantly at me.

"Our local custom dictates that remains are interred an hour before sunset," I said firmly, "If we cannot find his remains by then, we bury her in the courtyard of the Temple of Seasons."

* * *

"Hey, where did that wolf come from?" that was Khelgar's voice. The camp was in an uproar. "He's got the bones, catch him." the dwarf was now frantic.

The wolf, circling the firepit, grabbed the nymph cloak and ran down the hill to the river.

Neeshka and Shandra weren't too far behind, with Khelgar a distant third.

Zhjaeve stood at the crest of the hill, looking down on the chase. She pointed to the left and said, "the wolf knows where she is going. She wants to cross at the bridge."

"Why would she do that?" I asked, "that's the long way around."

"It seems that she does not want to wet the remains," said the Gith, "she's also leading them. Notice how she slows and looks back occasionally."

We watched the wolf cross the bridge and turn right. She stopped and waited until the tiefling got close, then bounded off up the hill and around the bend.

Thoroughly winded, Khelgar and Shandra were standing on the far bank, watching the wolf and Neeshka disappear over the hill. Not willing to give up, they followed the path and were soon out of sight.

We heard a long drawn out howl from the direction our group went. Zhjaeve picked up her spear and threw me my battle pack. "We need to go. They may need us," she said.

We crossed the stream at the ford and followed the path around to the right. Ahead of us was a hill in the middle of a wide field of grass. The howls were coming from the top of that hill.

When we got closer, we saw a narrow path spiraling up the side. As we trudged up the path, we could hear sporadic shouts and bestial snarling from the top.

Neeshka met us at the end of the path. "What took you so long?" she gasped, out of breath,"the remains are right here. These animals will not let us go near them." She took a step toward the cloak and all the wolves moved forward, their teeth bared, their hackles raised.

"Step back to where Khelgar is standing... please?" I asked quietly, biding my time. I had no idea what to do next.

She joined Shandra and Khelgar, who were standing at the end of the path. Just then Zhjaeve came up the path to join them.

There was a neglected stone monument centered within a knee-high stone wall behind the gathered wolf-pack. I stepped up to the leader. She picked up the cloak and walked to the eroded stone crib. Skirting around to the left, she stopped under a marble plaque set into the side and carefully lowered the remains to the ground.

I reached out my hand and placed it on her head."Thank you, Lady of the Forest," I said in old Elvish. She barked once, then turned and ran down the path, her pack mates following close behind.

"So, is this the place?" asked the put-out rogue, "what was that all about?"

"I'm not sure," I said, looking around. "Come on in. The wolves probably didn't know you."

Neeshka walked all the way around the vault. She then climbed up on top. "There's no markings up here," she called down.

After rubbing the grime from the marble plaque, I could just make out a single line of old Elvish text; _GUARDIAN of ILLEFARN. _

"That is just barely visible," the rogue said. She had rejoined me once again.

"Can you see how it opens?" I asked her, looking closely at the marble stonework.

After examining the long stone slab, she said,"there are hinge pins in the upper corners." She pointed them out. "This block in the lower center holds it closed. Pull it out and it should swing up," she finished.

"That is some fine stonework," Khelgar opined, "too bad it wasn't kept up. Any clan wouldna' let it get this bad. It's a matter of pride."

"It shouldn't be too hard to open." The rogue offered, "help me with this lock stone, Jerro."

Together they unseated the square stone block. Then Shandra, Neeshka, and I swung the slab open on its hinges. I propped it open with a quarterstaff and we looked inside.

The Guardian, in life, was a huge man. He would have stood a good head-and-a-half taller than most humans. He was dressed in a beautiful suit of elven chain mail. In spite of its age, there was very little tarnish on its links. His ornate helmet was placed under his right arm. There was no weapon at his side.

"Look," said Shandra,"there's room for her at his right side."

"That's how it should be," said Neeshka, stepping up beside us,"should we say a prayer before we close it?"

"The ritual calls for closing the stone at the exact moment the sun sets," I answered, "then we say prayers and meditate until the full moon is visible."

* * *

The remains were laid out beside the open crypt. Shandra, Neeshka, and I were wearing our white linen armor tunics as prescribed in the book; _Prayers to Sehanine __Moonbow_.

We lifted the earthly remains of the Moon Elf Laleen carefully and laid her beside the Guardian; Her final resting place.

After reciting a prayer for the dead, I placed a bottle of healing potion at her right hand; a symbol of her life's work.

The setting sun, a glowing red ball, was half hidden by the horizon. Shandra stepped up and placed her precious Gemsword at the Guardian's side. "They may need it in the afterlife," she said, reluctantly returning to her place beside me.

Just as the sun disappeared below the horizon, We slowly lowered the marble slab. It seated with the chalk-like sound of stone-on-stone. Shandra and Neeshka replaced the lock stone to seal the tomb.

I then placed a small, ornate bottle of wine atop the lock stone as an offering to Sehanine Moonbow; _The Protectress of the Dead._

With a quill and silver powder ink, I drew the sigil of Selune, _Our lady of silver_, on the marble cover stone, just above the wine bottle; It is a pair of feminine eyes encircled by seven silver stars.

I recited the phrases for Cleansing Nova and Shining Shield over their remains to complete the interment.

To complete the ritual, I recited the words of Angharradh's Final Blessing. I have known it by heart since childhood.

The face of Selune was fully visible, and on the rise. Our work here was done. We made our weary way back to camp.

A/N_ Effusive thanks to BronxWench for reading and helping me tighten up the interment scene._


	6. Reaver!

The moon had set not long ago. A hand was on my shoulder, shaking me back to consciousness.

"Tie... you awake?" it was Neeshka.

Everyone else was asleep. The night was quiet. Intermittent flashes on the horizon warned of a coming storm.

"What's up?" I asked knuckling sleep from my eyes.

The rogue's red eyes glowed like embers in the dark as she mouthed one word; "Reaver."

I sat upright, almost knocking the tiefling over. "Where is it?" I asked, now completely awake.

"It was on the plain surrounding the crypt," she reported, "it kept circling around the hill, like it was looking for a way up."

"Was it alone?" I asked, shrugging into my robe.

"It was alone, s'far as I could tell," the scout replied, "I'd be careful, though, there may be more of them on the way."

"Let's wake everyone up. We don't want any nasty surprises," I said, walking over to where Khelgar was sleeping.

* * *

We were assembled on a hill overlooking the river, not far from the footbridge the wolf had used yesterday.

"So, it's another reaver then?" Khelgar asked, "what wud the likes of those abominations want?"

"That is not known to me," Zhjaeve replied, "perhaps by destroying an icon of the moon elf faith, the balance of power would be upset."

"I think he's trying to intimidate us. He knows we're coming for him now," Neeshka said, "he's afraid of us if he sends his reavers to do his dirty work."

"He hasn't emerged on this plane yet," the Gith reminded her, "but you are right. He fears us, so all his efforts will be aimed at making us weaker."

"Well, regardless of motivation, we need to know where it is and what it's doing," I said.

"Stay right here," the rogue said, "I'll be back in a flash." She crossed the stream carefully and disappeared on the other side.

* * *

The darkness was almost total. Occasional starlight sifting through the tattered clouds gave the tiefling some idea of her location. Her unique night-vision was well suited to her mission.

Though her heritage was of the lower planes, the sight of the shadow reaver still repulsed her. To her acute vision, the abomination was just a hole in the darkness. A poisonous blue haze emanated from where its head should have been.

Neeshka watched as the evil being worked its way up the path to the top of the hill. It was making slow progress; It was in no hurry.

Assured that her target did not notice her presence, the scout turned back toward camp.

* * *

We were seated around the dying embers of last night's campfire when Neeshka appeared, sitting beside me on a fallen tree trunk. She never ceased to amaze me with her stealth. "Back already?" I asked mildly, "you just left."

"It's a reaver, all right," she confirmed,"it has made up its mind. It's going up the path to the crypt."

Khelgar spoke up, "any of its clan there? It wouldn't be very smart to travel alone."

"Not that I could see," the rogue said, "I think this is a spur-of-the-moment thing; They didn't know we were here. That reaver should be near the top by now. Let's go."

As we got closer to the hill, flashes of light and an occasional rumble of thunder signaled the approach of a powerful storm.

Flashes revealed that the noxious form of the reaver stood at the break in the low wall surrounding the stone monument. A pale spark appeared between the thrall's upraised hands;

Growing steadily brighter as it drew power from the abomination.

"I scouted all the way around the hill," the tiefling said, out of breath, "no shadows... nothing. That thing is here alone."

"It'll still be a tough fight," Shandra chipped in, looking forlornly at her cold-iron short sword. She gave it a few half-hearted swings. We knew she missed her mighty Gemsword.

Neeshka turned to me and asked, "Tie, look at the top of the hill. What do you see?"

I looked at her quizzically and answered, "a shadow reaver. What else should I see?"

"No. No," she corrected, "what does it look like to you?"

Now I understood her. I replied, "oh, I get you. The flashes of light are playing havoc with my night vision. But when it settles down, I see wrinkles in the dark, with a gray cloud where the head should be."

"I knew it." crowed the tiefling, "color blind."

" WHAT?" I snapped. I was completely in the dark; "What are you talking about?"

"Oh... nothing." Neeshka said sweetly. She held out her hand and Khelgar slapped a gold coin into her palm.

She turned to Shandra, who did the same thing.

Zhjaeve saw it coming. "You may want to cover your eyes," she said.

We all looked up the hill, just in time to see it happen;

The spark the reaver conjured had grown much larger. It glowed bright enough to illuminate the abomination's corrupted head and shoulders. It pulsed like a living, breathing creature.

The spark winked out, not making a sound; Snuffed by a powerful force. The reaver's arms fell limply like they had no will of their own.

A ground stroke from the crypt met with numerous bolts of lightning from the sky at the exact place the thrall was standing. The resulting ball of energy had all the brightness of the sun.

The ball disappeared with a concussive blast that assaulted our very souls. When our eyes recovered from the glare, we could see the abomination was gone.

"Tell me. What did I just see?" a dazed Khelgar asked, "did that reaver blast the tomb, or did the tomb send it packing?"

"I believe we have witnessed a conjunction of the weaves; A contest between good and evil," the Gith pronounced.

"So, who won this contest?" the rogue inquired, re-stating the dwarf's query.

"That is not known to me," Zhjaeve answered, "only by inspecting the Guardian's crypt will we find answers."

"Well, it can't be avoided," I said with some trepidation. I looked at Shandra and Neeshka. "Coming with me?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Only if we have to," said Jerro, looking up at me and smiling.

* * *

Back in camp, everyone bedded down to catch a few hours of sleep before sun up. Khelgar was just a lump under an immense black bearskin, his pit-saw snoring no longer kept us awake. Neeshka and Shandra slept back-to-back across the firepit from the dwarf. Zhjaeve was seated cross-legged on the bluff, overlooking the river, in a Githzerai version of reverie.

My fears about the crypt and the remains were unfounded. The monument was untouched; The wine bottle was still perched atop the lock stone. A shimmering haze was evidence that Shining Shield had done its job, and would continue to do so as long as the Weave existed.

That this was just another step in a long, long journey did not diminish my sense of accomplishment. This magnificent blade, my group, forged of such dissimilar metals, my friends, had done well today.

My mind began to wander on the plain of pre-reverie. A new dream... a dream of pain, blood, deception, and death danced just at the edge of my senses. But there was also hope and redemption. All, the will of _Our Lady._

Shandra moaned in her sleep and turned over. Was _Sehanine Moonbow_ speaking to her?

_Sleep on, Brave Warriors, tomorrow awaits._


End file.
